


Fierce Ficlets

by TrinesRUs



Category: Transformers Generation One, Transformers: Prime
Genre: Comedy, Drama, Ficlet Collection, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-10-25
Updated: 2014-10-25
Packaged: 2018-02-22 12:08:06
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,708
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2507213
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TrinesRUs/pseuds/TrinesRUs
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Three (potentially more later) little ficlets of different natures: Skywarp has a prank gone wrong, a glimpse of Megatron fighting as a gladiator, and a mysterious thing appears in the sky over Earth. (First and third are G1, second is Aligned)</p>
            </blockquote>





	Fierce Ficlets

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Fierceawakening](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Fierceawakening/gifts).



            “I told you, ‘Warp. I told you this would happen, but did you listen to me? Of all the mechs to walk in—”

            “Shush, TC. Nobody saw this coming.”

            “Am I nobody now?”

            Skywarp’s wings flick guilt (a very rare occurrence, and one Thundercracker is unlikely to forget when his irritation later dies down), and he whines, “Awww, TC! You know that’s not what I mean! You’re important to me. But how could anyone else have seen this coming?”

            “By preparing for the worst-case scenario _before_ setting up a water-balloon cannon,” he says pointedly.

            “Ah, this ain’t the worst-case scenario!”

            “What could be worse than hitting _Motormaster_ after a crushing loss against the _Aerialbots!?_ ” Thundercracker shouts, his wings hiking up on his back.

            “Hitting Megatron _in front of_ Motormaster after a defeat?” suggests Skywarp.

            And, as much as he wants to disagree, he knows his trinemate is right. Still, he would hate to be in the Stunticon’s way when he comes for the prankster.

~----------~

            Megatron grunts as the shield collides with his helm. The sound of metal colliding with metal reverberates painfully in his audials. His vision is split into three when he opens his optics, but experience lets him figure out which shape is his opponent and raise his own shield to block their axe in time.

            His legs wobble when he stands. He can’t quite remember if this is the first opponent in a while to really challenge him or if any opponent has really challenged him before or if every single opponent has challenged him this much in different ways. Sensory memories fade and blur in the back of his processor while reflexive memories take control.

            Sidestep, sidestep, slash, clang. With each move, his already-swimming processor gets foggier, but the gladiator just throws himself more into the fight, drowning his confusion in pure resolve.

            Sword and axe tangle, the axe bearing down on him, just barely held at bay from dashing open his helm. Megatron pivots, throwing the other combatant off-balance. The mech nearly regains his footing, but before he can completely recover, Megatron strikes the backs of his knees, and the mech crumples to the ground.

            But this match isn’t over just yet. The crowd demands a sacrifice of the energon he can no longer smell because the stadium is drenched in it. He raises his opponent’s fallen axe and, in one swing, lops his helm off.

            Somewhere in the audience, a Senator cheers his praises.

~----------~

            It appears, at first, as a dark spot against the sun. It’s little more than a dot. It gets closer so gradually that, for a while, no one notices that the spot is “getting bigger” until someone compares newspaper clippings from an entire year apart.

            That’s not entirely true: that’s only how the majority of humanity discovers it. The Cybertronians noticed at least a few months sooner. None of their scans have been returning relevant data, however, and the thing—whatever it is—doesn’t seem to be getting close fast enough to be a danger any time soon.

            There are some debates on both sides on whether or not to send mecha into space to take a closer look at the spot in front of the sun. On the Autobots’ side, the idea is eventually struck down on the grounds that sending Cosmos is too dangerous with as little information as they currently have. On the Decepticons’ side, there is no end to the arguing. The concerns range from fuel consumption to who would accompany Astrotrain to if Blast Off could be separated from his gestalt to whether or not Astrotrain would be a wuss for refusing to go alone.

            Wildrider offers to go often and enthusiastically. His gestaltmates, especially their leader, meet him just as often and (except for Dead End) at least as spiritedly with why that's an awful idea. “Splitting up our team,” Dead End points out on one particular occasion, “would ensure that _all_ our deaths would be much swifter in coming.” The rest of the team elects to read this and similar comments as discouragement.

            The fact that Decepticon arguments continue on does not mean a decision is never made. In fact, shortly before the humans discover that the spot is moving, Megatron settles on sending Astrotrain, Blitzwing, and the Coneheads off to explore, seize the thing if it's determined beneficial to their cause, and destroy any threat that may linger on the unknown object. This does not mean that everyone agrees with his decision.

            Unsurprisingly, Starscream responds with a bid for leadership. “How could any wise leader send _them_ for such a task? If it is unimportant, we have sent away warriors on a useless task, leaving our forces more vulnerable against the Autobots! If it proves very important, Astrotrain and Blitzwing have tried to take over before and no doubt will again! Obviously, Megatron’s judgment is impaired, and it is time for a new leader to rise! I, Starscream, should be handed command of the Decepticons immediately!”

            Unsurprisingly, almost no one listens to him, even those who agree that Megatron’s plan is a poor one.

            The Decepticons don’t hold their breath waiting to hear from or see the team again. Even if they needed to breathe, it isn’t in their nature. Instead, they pass the time making bets on how long it would take them to return or if there was really a brain cell (metaphorically speaking) to be shared between the five of them to actually get anything done.

            Time passes, though, and laughter and bets fade into silent worry. Silent, as no one wants to admit to the weakness of worrying except Breakdown. Starscream’s tirades become more frequent, but there’s a twitch to his wings that only shows when he senses danger, and the rants cease completely after the third month. Megatron’s tirades, on the other hand, go from few at the beginning to many in that time.

            At last, with the pressure in the base growing, Megatron orders more troops to be sent. This time, it's the Combaticons who are selected. The choice is made reluctantly, as no one wants to send away a gestalt—well, no one but rival gestalts want to see one leave—but Blast Off is one of the few Decepticons who can leave Earth’s orbit on his own power, and if the other team’s failure to communicate is due to being overpowered, sending a much stronger team may be the only way to see the mission completed successfully.

            Around this time, the Autobots finally relent and send Cosmos to scout ahead. The thing in the sky has moved towards Earth much faster in three months than it did in a year. Hesitation is no longer practical. But Cosmos is still warned to proceed with caution and to try to remain undetected. “The safety of this planet is our first priority,” Optimus says, “but your own safety is important as well. Maintain communication with Autobots on Earth as long as it’s not dangerous to do so.”

            Cosmos updates them frequently on his journey. For the first couple of updates, all he has to say is that there’s nothing of interest; he’s just getting closer to the floating object. The mecha who take shifts monitoring the comm.s begin to grow bored. One day, the mech on shift, Cliffjumper, almost ignores his signal completely until Cosmos starts giving physical detail about the thing.

            “It’s big. Massive. I want to call it a ship, but it’s unlike any ship I’ve seen before. It’s more like a floating, metal continent. I think I can sense life signals from within, but they’re faint. It’s like—” His signal cuts off suddenly.

            Cliffjumper first tries restoring connection, but when that proves fruitless, he alerts Optimus and the other remaining Autobots to Cosmos’ sudden disconnection. A small party, including Optimus and Skyfire, is organized to go into space in search of their missing mech. The others are warned to stay and defend Earth in their absence.

            Tensions on the Decepticons’ side rise the longer they hear nothing from the Combaticons. No one is willing to admit they’re afraid, even now, but they begin to sublimate their fear as anger. Arguments in the Decepticon base start at a single, ill-timed breath. Most of these, as expected, come between Starscream and Megatron.

            “What another fine idea you’ve had, _mighty Megatron_! That is another five Decepticons you have lost our cause! If everyone had listened to _me_ and made _me_ leader when we still had a chance—”

            “We would have lost more than the Combaticons under your leadership. You are fickle and cowardly, and when whatever is up there comes to Earth, you would have abandoned your post to save yourself!”

            “And if we continue to follow you, we will be slaughtered!”

            “Who would allow you to rule them while you allow fear to rule you, Starscream? You fear the unknown, so you question my decisions instead of admitting to your weaknesses.”

            The two have had countless arguments like this one over the weeks since the Combaticons were sent out, but this one in particular makes Starscream wince and his wings twitch. “I was a scientist on Cybertron! I do not _fear_ the unknown; I embrace it!”

            “Prove it. Take me to the mysterious orb in the sky, if you are so brave.”

            Starscream hesitates, wings still twitching, before puffing out his chestplate and declaring, “I accept your challenge!” He transforms into jet-mode and opens his cockpit for Megatron’s gun form. They take the lift to the launch pad and set out for space together at once.

            It’s inevitable that Megatron and Starscream run into the Autobot squad. Megatron orders Starscream to let him out, and they begin shooting together. The Autobots outnumber them, but the difference in gravity outside of Earth’s atmosphere makes it harder for the mostly ground-bound mecha to move in the ways they want.

            The battle is going very well for the Decepticons, but the combatants are so focused on the fight that they fail to notice the ship-continent-thing floating ever closer to them until it is nearly right above them. Without warning, they all black out.

            The last thing Megatron sees before vision leaves him is a large tentacle.


End file.
